Plant-based cheese may be getting more appetizing

Can we skip the dairy and still get a cheese that doesn't taste like plants?

See full article...

 

[ZenBeam]

Sea Salt, Garlic, Paprika, Onion, Corn Syrup, Wheat Flour (Bleached, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Maltodextrin, Monosodium Glutamate, Corn Cereal, Spices, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Cottonseed and/or Soybean), Natural Hickory Smoke Flavor, Natural Butter Flavor, Hydrolyzed Corn and Soy Proteins, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Disodium Inosinate and Guanylate, Artificial Flavor, Caramel Color, Yellow 6 and Red 40, Less than 2% Silicon Dioxide.

Main ingredient is salt.

Yet the label says low sodium...

 

[Rauth85]

Yet the label says low sodium...

Bottled water. Low hydrogen...?

 

[VividVerism]

Sea Salt, Garlic, Paprika, Onion, Corn Syrup, Wheat Flour (Bleached, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Maltodextrin, Monosodium Glutamate, Corn Cereal, Spices, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Cottonseed and/or Soybean), Natural Hickory Smoke Flavor, Natural Butter Flavor, Hydrolyzed Corn and Soy Proteins, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Disodium Inosinate and Guanylate, Artificial Flavor, Caramel Color, Yellow 6 and Red 40, Less than 2% Silicon Dioxide.

Main ingredient is salt.

I'm guessing the serving size is smaller. Probably on account of all the extra flavor making you need less of it. Or something.

 

[ZenBeam]

I'm guessing the serving size is smaller. Probably on account of all the extra flavor making you need less of it. Or something.

Yeah, it's 1/4 teaspoon.

 

[VividVerism]

Yeah, it's 1/4 teaspoon.

Hmm. Same as table salt: https://www.mortonsalt.com/article/morton-iodized-table-salt-nutritional-facts/

Maybe there's enough wheat flour, spices, "corn cereal", MSG, etc. in the bacon salt to reduce the salt-by-volume enough to consider it "low sodium"?

...yeah, count me in the group thinking that label is a bit sus.

 

[marm0lade]

I would welcome this. Cheese has a surprisingly high CO2 cost, not to mention the ethical issues with keeping high-output milk cows.

Humans have an inherently high CO2 cost.

Would you be OK with milking cows less frequently, to be more humane, but increasing cattle stock to match output? I already know your answer.

The answer is fewer humans.

 

[ZenBeam]

Hmm. Same as table salt: https://www.mortonsalt.com/article/morton-iodized-table-salt-nutritional-facts/

Maybe there's enough wheat flour, spices, "corn cereal", MSG, etc. in the bacon salt to reduce the salt-by-volume enough to consider it "low sodium"?

...yeah, count in the group thinking that label is a bit sus.

Well now you've gotten me wondering, so I looked it up. From here, in the section labeled Sodium near the middle of the page,

If a food claims to be

It means that one serving* contains …

Low sodium

140 mg or less of sodium

*Based on the labeled serving size and/or the reference amount customarily consumed (RACC)

Their 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) serving size is listed as 140 mg of sodium, so at least arguably they qualify. According to an online calculator I found, 1 gram of just salt would be 388 mg of sodium, so they likely added just enough other stuff to reach the 140g limit. But still I agree, a bit sus.

 

[Wheels Of Confusion]

Maybe there's enough wheat flour, spices, "corn cereal", MSG, etc. in the bacon salt to reduce the salt-by-volume enough to consider it "low sodium"?

I like my MSG to be low-sodium too.

 

[VividVerism]

I like my MSG to be low-sodium too.

....um....

It's monosodium glutamate, Meaning it has only one sodium in it, right? /S

(Whoops)

 

[VividVerism]

The answer is fewer humans.

Are you volunteering?

 

[Dark Jaguar]

Humans have an inherently high CO2 cost.

Would you be OK with milking cows less frequently, to be more humane, but increasing cattle stock to match output? I already know your answer.

The answer is fewer humans.

The rhetoric about how there are too many humans was always a racist talking point. The science doesn't back it up either.

As has been said by more poetic people than me:

Ghost of Christmas Present said:

...Perhaps, in the future, you will hold your tongue until you have discovered where the surplus population is, and WHO it is. It may well be that, in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than MILLIONS...

 

[Rauth85]

Are you volunteering?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiKuxfcSrEU

 

[Derecho Imminent]

Humans have an inherently high CO2 cost.

Would you be OK with milking cows less frequently, to be more humane, but increasing cattle stock to match output? I already know your answer.

The answer is fewer humans.

Some people think if we dont have enough babies we go extinct. Shows the weakness of undue extrapolation.

 

[Mark Rose]

If we stopped growing meat animals entirely, by next year not only would there be a noticeable drop in GHGs, we'd also have more plants (also reducing GHGs) and all the collateral environmental costs of eating meat (refrigeration, processing, distribution) would drop as well, contributing even MORE reduction.

We'd also have ecosystem collapse. Before the giant fields of modern monocrop agriculture, natural grasslands relied on the pulse of browsing animals passing through, eating the plants, and cycling the nutrients.

Have you heard of Allan Savory? He shot 40,000 elephants thinking they were destroying the grasslands of Africa only to realize he was wrong and that they were a critical part of the ecosystem. He gave a 20 minute Ted Talk about it. He did vastly overestimate the amount of carbon sequestration though.

 

[Lilibet12]

Was it Velveeta years ago, that was labelled with the words "Cheese Food Product"?

I've just tried a vegan "mozzarella food product" that I do not like. I am trying very hard to like it, so I don't throw the rest of it out.

 

[Rauth85]

We'd also have ecosystem collapse. Before the giant fields of modern monocrop agriculture, natural grasslands relied on the pulse of browsing animals passing through, eating the plants, and cycling the nutrients.

Have you heard of Allan Savory? He shot 40,000 elephants thinking they were destroying the grasslands of Africa only to realize he was wrong and that they were a critical part of the ecosystem. He gave a 20 minute Ted Talk about it. He did vastly overestimate the amount of carbon sequestration though.

The only ted talk he should have given is where he walks on stage and then is shot.

 

[The Lurker Beneath]

Food that contains neither meat nor dairy ingredients. (Though it can contain fish, eggs, and honey, so it’s not a synonym for vegan).

Wikipedia is your friend.

Pareve (link)

In short: people who follow a kosher diet don’t eat any dish that combines meat and dairy, and they don't eat any dairy ingredients after eating meat for 3 or 6 hours (depending on their custom).

So I never eat real cheeseburgers, but I can use vegan-cheese on a real burger, or real cheese on a vegan burger.

All vegan food is pareve, and most pareve food is vegetarian (fish being the only exception that comes to mind).

"That's cheating!" - YWH, probably.

[Actually, mightn't it fall under that rule about avoiding the appearance of sin?]

 

[holmes6]

Getting most people to try new foods and drinks is tough and having them do it with an open mind is even harder. Look at the level of resistance here among people who have never smelled or tasted this product. If you're expecting something to be gross it's going to seem gross when you have it regardless of whether it actually is.

 

[Derecho Imminent]

Getting most people to try new foods and drinks is tough and having them do it with an open mind is even harder. Look at the level of resistance here among people who have never smelled or tasted this product. If you're expecting something to be gross it's going to seem gross when you have it regardless of whether it actually is.

Well to be fair, even the article says they arent there yet.

 

[arc-tu-rus]

We've had this discussion a couple times in this thread. Yes, many cheeses contain significantly reduced lactose compared to milk. Yes, that means many lactose-intolerant people can enjoy those cheeses in moderation. No, it does not make those cheeses "safe" to eat for everyone with lactose intolerance.

Supposedly the harder block forms of mozzarella have very little lactose (https://www.tastingtable.com/1186997/types-of-cheese-that-are-safe-for-lactose-intolerance/). But there's enough lactose remaining that, for me and multiple others in this thread anyway, we cannot enjoy pizza with a "standard" amount of "real" mozzarella cheese (or we can, until maybe about 30-60 minutes after the end of the meal, then we and everyone around us have a terrible time).

Non-aged cheeses, which includes several soft and semi-soft cheeses, like mozzarella, have a much higher amount of lactose than aged/cured cheeses (such as Parmigiano, Cheddar) and pressed cheeses (such as Emmental and Gruyère), which have only trace amounts. You can certainly enjoy a pizza with cheeses such as Cheddar, Emmental and Gruyère instead of the fresh mozzarella (and recall that using the dried mozzarella often used in pizzas is not the traditional option).

 

[Rauth85]

Getting most people to try new foods and drinks is tough and having them do it with an open mind is even harder. Look at the level of resistance here among people who have never smelled or tasted this product. If you're expecting something to be gross it's going to seem gross when you have it regardless of whether it actually is.

Past experience with other such stuff.

 

[Loading...]

Ah, IPAs the "turpentine flavored beer" style. Invented so you wouldn't taste that the beer had turned on long, hot sea voyages.

I've had some IPAs that genuinely tasted like tropical fruit and were very drinkable, but most of them taste like pine cone party liquor from Early Cuyler's still.

West Coast vs East Coast.

 

[phoenix_rizzen]

Hmm. Same as table salt: https://www.mortonsalt.com/article/morton-iodized-table-salt-nutritional-facts/

Maybe there's enough wheat flour, spices, "corn cereal", MSG, etc. in the bacon salt to reduce the salt-by-volume enough to consider it "low sodium"?

...yeah, count me in the group thinking that label is a bit sus.

Product	Sodium (mg)	Serving Size (tsp)
Bacon Salt	140	0.25
Morton Salt	590	0.25

Seems low-sodium to me, in comparison.

Edit: add table to make the numbers line up better.

 

[dagar9]

You know, I hear tofu cooked in bacon grease is pretty tasty too. If you wanted another thing you can not have a "problem" with.

That actually sounds good, I'll have to try it. The problem with tofu is that on its own, it has pretty much no taste or texture, it's sorta like eating unflavored gelatin.

 

[Kesh]

That actually sounds good, I'll have to try it. The problem with tofu is that on its own, it has pretty much no taste or texture, it's sorta like eating unflavored gelatin.

That's a feature, not a bug. It absorbs the flavor of whatever it's cooked in. yea, that means it sucks by itself, but that's why you season it or cook it in something flavorful.

 

[DovePig]

That actually sounds good, I'll have to try it. The problem with tofu is that on its own, it has pretty much no taste or texture, it's sorta like eating unflavored gelatin.

Lots of foods have no flavour on its own, just take rice. That's what condiments and spices are for. Tofu fried in sesame oil? Smoked tofu? Spicy tofu? Et cetera. EDIT: ninja'd ;-)

 

[Rauth85]

Product	Sodium (mg)	Serving Size (tsp)
Bacon Salt	140	0.25
Morton Salt	590	0.25

Seems low-sodium to me, in comparison.

Edit: add table to make the numbers line up better.

The second ingredient of garlic must bring a lot of filler. Would be great if the labels had percentages.

 

[VividVerism]

The second ingredient of garlic must bring a lot of filler. Would be great if the labels had percentages.

That and the wheat and "corn cereal".

 

[.劉煒]

That actually sounds good, I'll have to try it. The problem with tofu is that on its own, it has pretty much no taste or texture, it's sorta like eating unflavored gelatin.

I love some plain tofu (not textured, not pretending to be anything else), esp if you give it a good deep fry. Cubed in soup is good too.

 

[Rauth85]

That and the wheat and "corn cereal".

Ingredients are listed by most to least, so the garlic should be way up there in percentage.

 

[dimathiel]

That actually sounds good, I'll have to try it. The problem with tofu is that on its own, it has pretty much no taste or texture, it's sorta like eating unflavored gelatin.

Why would anyone eat tofu on its own?

 

[graylshaped]

That actually sounds good, I'll have to try it. The problem with tofu is that on its own, it has pretty much no taste or texture, it's sorta like eating unflavored gelatin.

Tofu is a sponge. Best in a well-flavored broth in most home cases. Knowing I am not well-versed in tofu, I stick with at least the firm variety, and know as a cook I need to give it flavor, because it brings none on its own. I am not good at that yet, but am still trying.

 

[GMBigKev]

Why would anyone eat tofu on its own?

I've eaten fried tofu on its own.

 

[Dark Jaguar]

I've eaten fried tofu on its own.

DEEEP FRIIIIIED!


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAW4qjQ5TAg

 

[ZenBeam]

Why would anyone eat tofu on its own?

I've eaten fried tofu on its own.

OK, why?

 

[.劉煒]

OK, why?

Because it's delicious, esp with a bit of soy and next to the veggies and rice?

 

[graylshaped]

I've eaten fried tofu on its own.

As have I, and often in miso soup. Tofu is a sponge. It tastes like what it accompanies.

 

[Rauth85]

Tofu is a sponge. Best in a well-flavored broth in most home cases. Knowing I am not well-versed in tofu, I stick with at least the firm variety, and know as a cook I need to give it flavor, because it brings none on its own. I am not good at that yet, but am still trying.

What you want is frozen tofu. It is extra sponge. Just stick your container in the freezer, let it freeze, then dethaw in the fridge.

 

[GMBigKev]

OK, why?

Couldn't tell the difference between the types mostly.

I had a few varieties of fried tofu, one had mushroom, one had lemongrass, and one was plain. I ate the plain one and it was like - okay, tastes like tofu. I did put some gochujang sauce on the rest of them after that. But it was still just plain, fried tofu with gochujang sauce on top.

 

[Derecho Imminent]

If they arent aiming for any particular cheese that means they are aiming for american cheese.